The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MAHATMA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
A
H
A
T
M
A
More clues leading to the result MAHATMA
- Sage’s mother going round Panama, for example
- Sage parent accepts head covering
- Sage Derby, say, swallowed by lady with issue
- Balmoral or other stuck into mature woman’s guru
- Panama, say, toured by parent, venerable soul
- Holy man graduates without mortar board?
- Mother holding mitre for one holy leader
- What’s wife left out? It needs around two small pinches of marjoram or sage
- Adept at pursuing 16 briefly amongst academics
- Great soul in Derby perhaps absorbed by mother
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Sage" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sage = mahatma.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MAHATMA mean?
MAHATMA noun- An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
- Such a person.